Ethiopian Airlines hijack: Co-pilot took control of plane

There were about 200 people on board the plane hijacked

The co-pilot of an Ethiopian Airlines plane flying from Addis Ababa to Rome has hijacked the aircraft and landed in Geneva, Swiss police say.

The hijacker – who has been arrested – waited for the pilot to go to the toilet to lock himself in the cockpit. He was unarmed. He has requested asylum in Switzerland.

The airline said in a statement that all passengers and crew were safe.

Geneva airport, which was closed for a time, has now reopened.

Flight 702 was scheduled to leave the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, at 00:30 local time (21:30 GMT), and arrive in Rome at 04:40 local time.

Geneva police confirmed the plane – a Boeing 767-300 – had made an unscheduled landing in the Swiss city at 06:00.

The flight was hijacked as it was flying over Sudan, reports the Tribune de Geneve newspaper.

Police evacuate passengers from the plane

The co-pilot used a rope to climb out of the window of the cockpit at Geneva airport

In a statement, Ethiopian Airlines said Flight 702 “on scheduled service departing from Addis Ababa at 00:30 (local time) scheduled to arrive in Rome at 04:40 (local time) was forced to proceed to Geneva airport”.

“Accordingly, the flight has landed safely at Geneva airport. All passengers and crew are safe at Geneva airport,” it added in the statement.

All 200 passengers and crew on board the plane were in good health, the company said,

Passengers came out of the aircraft at about 08:00 (local time) surrounded by dozens of police, the Tribune de Geneve reports.